The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-03-17
A Healthy Siau.

lanfully and hravely. 1t, as we'll, shows j.,
n appreciation of the progressive currents
hat ale changing the channels of thought
n the South and awakening to the reality
hat blind. unreasoning prejudice is rap ,
dly giving way before the logic OF events.
I. with degree of candor that is really
efre hing, coming from Virginia Dem
,cyatic source. cOnfesses that the race
question has been used as 'device" to
lelude the people and win political VIC
.ories, and that all the sensational appeals
heretofore made by Democratic orators
and papers about "negro rule" were
wicked pretext to inflame race prejudice
that the Democratic party might be CIV
en- the control of the Commonwealth
That we have not misstated the views
of our contemporary we give an extract
from leading editorial in that paper OF
the 10th, under the caption of "a mission
for the colored people," 1t says:
There was time in Virginia when it was
only necessary for Democratic politicians to |
draw the color line at the polls to win success.
That time has passed. 1t is rarely possible |
now by raising the race issue, to get as much |
az f,ve-sxth of the whites to stand together re-
gardless of ell other questions. The social color
line takes care of ITSELF ae 1t always has taken
and always will take care of ITSELF nature
cannot be reversed. But the color liHe In pol
ittcs as q certain promoter of Democratic sue
cess, has lost it's power; 1t has faded out
Then, viewing it wholly FROM sn unsentimen-
tai and simply practical standpoint. 1t has be-
come failure: and when political device is
worn out 1t should be dropped. 1t Is rarely
difficult to find more than sixth OF the whites
who will be deaf to all appeals and who will
only too gladly join with a solid colored vote
in order to secure control of the State. Thous'
ands of white men In "the black belt as en-
lishtened and as sef-respecting as any In this
State, ceased long ago to Gght on the color line
and they have won the confidence OF tmany OF
the coIored people without even maklng asin-
gle improper concession. What can be done In
southside Virginia can be done in other parts
of Virginia as well,
Here is full. free confession on the
part of the leading Democratic paper Of
Virginia. that the race question has been
partizan DEVICE" used to promote
Democratic SUCCESS" and now that such
appeal has lost its power" the policy is
to reverse the tactics, and see what can be
done to win the colored vote to the party
that has so wrongfully assailed and abused
| it. 1t is not until the device" has ''lost
| It's power to promote Democratic sue
cess" however, that the scales have
dropped from the eyes and the fact real
lied that the people can no longer be mis-
led by the false alarms and the tricks and
devices of partizan leaders. The masses
have broken away from partizan leading
strings and shown disposition to think
and act for themselves. They recognize
that the Republicans have no policies or
plans inconsistent with or harmful to the
public interest. They see that the Demo-
cratic party of Virginia had to adopt Re-
publican legislation in order to make a
pretense of understanding the needs of
the people, and that the Democratic party
of the Nation has failed to enact any laws
changing the cardinal administrative pol
icy of the Republicans which brought the
country from the verge Of bankruptcy to
its present aftuent and prosperous condi-
1
ton of Republican origin, which have
thus been endorsed by the Democratic
party, The eolored people voted. and
because of this fact great many who
believed in those measures we're Influenced
to vote against their convictions. 10y rea
son of the prejudice aroused against the
eolored race. The fact is now plain to the
| intelligent mind, that the Democratic
party is incapable of formulatinga policy
different from that of the Republicans, on
which to administer the government
And when they attempt to enforce Repub-
llcan legislation. their ignorance of its i'm
port and their want of comprehension Of its
framework, hare caused the most hunlifat-
ing failure They have controlled the leg
lslation of the State since 1888. and what
have they done but to confuse and compli-
cate legislation, with which the people were
satisfied, and SO entangle the paramount
question of public concern, as to make
it an enigma even to the courts They
haye had control Of the national govern
ment for two years, and what have their
|
| }? They have not changed law affect
ing the revenues and the fiscal relations
If the government, that they found in the
statute books, although the condition OF
the country and the interests of the peo-
pie demanded that notifications should
Oe made in existing laws, and other legis-
ation enacted that public policy and en-
ightened civilization required. Ali the
changes which have Teen made were in the
offices Of the government. and in making
these more incompetents and proven rascals
! have been chosen than had marked any
of the previous administrations. They
have not only exposed their. incapacity for
the great obligations of government, but
want of honest purpose 10 better the
service in the character of the persons ap-
pointed to public trusts.
These things have not escaped the at
tention and scrutiny of the people, and as
a result they have made up their minds to
listen no longer to the passionate appeals
of designing tricksters to race prejudice,
Or be influenced by the threat of negro
rule" They have learned that the negro
has proved himself to be conservative
factor in politics. His vote has been cast
for the policies and measures which his
prosecutors have been Gnally compelled
to endorse. He has been voting for the
interests of all the people. in supporting
the principles and legislation which the
Democratic party has been forced to re-
cognize, and to substantially admit that
| there can be no national prosperity with
out their enforcement.
Finding now that the intelligent white
pc )pe of the South can no longer be de-
lided and deceived by sensational alarms
and lnsidious devices to promote Demo
cratic success" and that hereafter they
will vote their convictions, instead of alb
normal prejudices, the policy is to be
adopted of making up this loss by winning
over colored votes. This is certainly much
more to be commended than the policy
heretofore adopted. to hold the white
vote. And had kindly spirit been shown
in the past, and friendly methods en-
| Moved we have no doubt there would now